It had been 18 months since the Maoists launched their armed rebellion. Murders, violence, and kidnappings were increasing in the name of the armed rebellion that had started in the mid-western districts. The displacement of the general public due to the Maoist terror was increasing. The general public was also becoming victims of the government's repression in the name of action.

Three prime ministers had become prime ministers in 2 years and 8 months after the mid-term elections held in Kartik 2051. This impact of political instability had also affected the lives of the general public.

Corruption such as buying MPs, providing alcohol and beauty products to MPs, kidnapping MPs, foreign trips at government expense, and the formation of a 48-member cabinet were developing into a dirty game to gain power. Corruption seen in the parliamentary system had fueled the Maoist armed movement. The Maoists, who were seen as staunch opponents of the parliamentary system, were attacking the governance system from the jungle by using these corruptions as slogans.

In the name of political change, the Maoists were not only destroying state structures, but also supporting individual murders. During the 18-month rule of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, which was formed in 2052 Bhadra, 81 people lost their lives. During the four-month rule of the government led by Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party parliamentary party, formed in 2053 Chaitra, 35 people lost their lives.

The statement made by the Chand government's Home Minister Bamdev Gautal after taking oath as a minister that not only people but also birds would not die turned out to be the opposite in practice. Shortly after becoming the Home Minister, he made a statement that all opponents should be thrown into the same pit. The statement was very controversial. During his four-month tenure, 17 people died in the name of the Maoists and 16 during the local elections. Incidents of politically related murders were increasing. The general public was terrified of being targeted by both the Maoists and the state.

Opposition and Congress workers were targeted

The local elections held in Jestha 2054 were very violent. The local elections were particularly rigged due to the infighting between the parties and the protection given by the government to its workers. During the elections, the UML won a majority of seats. In some districts, the results were declared in favor of the UML without even allowing voters to cast their votes.

In some village development committees, the UML candidate was declared the winner without even counting the votes received by the opposition. Analysts called the local elections the most violent in history. A 6-year-old child was also killed during the elections.

The incident of 6-year-old Phurba Syangbo and 11-year-old Ganesh Syangbo being slit with a wooden stake in Banskhark, Sindhupalchowk on 26 Jestha 2054, while grieving the loss of their party in the local elections, was termed as a ‘brutal murder in the name of political revenge’ at the time.

The Informal Service Center (INSEC), presenting data from 19 Chaitra 2053 to 16 Asar 2054, stated that the series of murders and violence was increasing. In particular, the speech and activities of those in power were considered the main reason for the increase in violence. The then General Secretary of INSEC, Rajesh Gautam, had said, ‘Political violence has increased because the politics of principle has ended and the politics of power has begun.’

The President of Human Rights and Peace Society, Krishna Pahadi, and General Secretary Gautam had the same statement, ‘The politics of confrontation has increased.’ The local elections in Jestha were considered the most violent. They concluded that the election was more decisive through the ‘bullet’ than the ‘ballot’. MP Padmaratna Tuladhar said that although they were committed to democracy in words, they did not show any action and showed no political honesty.

The Maoists had basically targeted Congress workers. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Home Affairs, 10 of the 17 civilians killed by Maoists during the Chand government were Congress supporters. Nar Bahadur Dangi, Amit Pun, Salman Pun, Kehar Singh Pun, Laljit Budha, Sher Bahadur Damai and his wife from Rolpa, Bhim Bahadur Pun and Bal Bahadur Pun from Rukum, and Man Bahadur Singh from Jajarkot were among those killed. The opposition accused the government of ignoring such incidents.

Congress workers and supporters were particularly afraid of the Maoists. Party leaders used to say that the government had failed to provide peace and security. Lalita Kingring Magar, elected as a member from Kavre Bhimpokhari-1, did not come to the central office of the Nepali Congress and seek protection because the Maoists threatened to kill her. But the leaders turned her away saying that the government did not provide security. The leaders said that the government had become a pawn of the murderers. Lalita Magar was just an example, such sufferings expressed by political activists were increasing. But the peace and security of the country was deteriorating greatly. The government was preparing to introduce a bill on the ‘Control and Punishment of Terrorist and Destructive Crimes’ targeting the Maoists. But this bill was being opposed. The analytical news prepared by journalist Panchmani Adhikari focusing on the increasing violence in the country in the name of politics and the unnecessary loss of lives of citizens was published in Kantipur Daily on 20 Shrawan 2054 under the title ‘Increasing at an alarming rate – Political murders and violence’.